§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to take any measures to increase the size of the private rented housing sector; and whether any such measure will involve legislation.
§ Mr. StanleyThe Housing Act 1980 contained a number of measures to encourage landlords to make more accommodation available for private renting. These included the introduction of shorthold, the conversion of all remaining controlled tenancies to regulated tenancies, the shortening of the minimum period between rent registrations from three years to two, simpler and quicker repossession rules for new resident landlord lettings, measures to make it easier for owners of retirement homes and temporarily absent owner-occupiers to regain possession, and the introduction of the assured tenancy scheme. We have also made an order lifting compulsory rent registration for shorthold tenancies granted outside London which will come into force on 1 December.